DriveClub Running at 1080p 60 FPS Isn’t a Given, “There is a Hell of a Lot Going On”

July 19, 2013
Written by Kayvon Ghoreshi

When DriveClub launches alongside the PS4 later this year it will be the system’s main racing exclusive and will likely have a lot to prove as both a new IP and the competitor to the Xbox One exclusive Forza 5. We already know that Forza 5 is running at 60 FPS, but it turns out DriveClub may not be.

In an interview with OPM, DriveClub art director Alex Perkins explained that, while 1080p and a frame rate of 60 would be nice, it isn’t a given.

There is a hell of a lot going on. Increased visual fidelity does cost, there’s no argument about it. The PlayStation 4 is very capable of doing both but we’ve gone for a fully dynamic environment, so you can go any time of day, anywhere on the planet, and it’ll calculate the atmospheric density, whether you’re up the top of a mountain or at sea level.

And, while the PS4 is a powerful system, the incredible detail may prevent the game from running at 60 frames per second with Perkins saying “while we are aiming for sixty, there is always the chance that we’ll never quite reach there.”

Apparently there has also been much debate within Evolution as to whether the visuals should be sacrificed in favor of frame rate. Perkins said:

If I had my way, I’d rather have more stuff going on at a prettier level and a lower frame rate, but that’s where the arguments start. The coders would rather have a higher frame rate, and put less stuff in. So it comes down to Col [Rodgers, game director]‘s decision in the long run. Personally I’m quite happy with a 30 frames a second game, as long as it’s rock solid at thirty, and being an art director I want it to look beautiful.

So if you had the last say in the decision, would you want to sacrifice frame rate in favor of visuals or vice versa? Let us know in the comments.